[G.  0. 170. 


General  Orders,  1  WAR  DEPARTMENT, 

No.  170.  Washington,  December  31,  1917. 

The  following  proclamation  by  the  President  is  published  t<> 
the  Army  for  the  information  and  guidance  of  all  concerned  : 

[EXISTENCE   OF   WAR — AUSTRO-HUNGARIAN  EMPIRE.] 


BY  THE  PRESIDENT  OF  THE  UNITED  STATES  OF 
AMERICA, 

A  PROCLAMATION. 


Whereas  the  Congress  of  the  United  States  in  the  exercise  of 
the  constitutional  authority  vested  in  them  have  resolved,  by 
joint  resolution  of  the  Senate  and  House  of  Representatives 
bearing  date  of  December  7th,  1917,  as  follows: 

Whereas  the  Imperial  and  Royal  Austro-Hungarian  govern- 
ment has  committed  repeated  acts  of  war  against  the  Government 
and  the  people  of  the  United  States  of  America :  Therefore  be  it 

Resolved  by  the  Senate  and  House  of  Representatives  of  the 
United  States  of  America  in  Congress  assembled.  That  a  state  of 
war  is  hereby  declared  to  exist  between  the  United  States  of 
America  and  the  Imperial  and  Royal  Austro-Hungarian  Govern- 
ment ;  and  that  the  President  be.  and  he  is  hereby,  authorized 
and  directed  to  employ  the  entire  naval  and  military  forces  of 
the  United  States  and  the  resources  of  the  Government  to  carry 
on  war  against  the  Imperial  and  Royal  Austro-Hungarian  Gov- 
ernment; and  to  bring  the  conflict  to  a  successful  termination  all 
the  resources  of  the  country  are  hereby  pledged  by  the  Congress 
of  the  United  States. 

Whereas,  by  sections  lour  thousand  and  sixty-seven  four  thou- 
sand and  sixty-eight,  four  thousand  and  sixty-nine,  and  four 
thousand  and  seventy,  of  the  Revised  Statutes,  provision  is  made 
relative  to  natives,  citizens,  denizens,  or  subjects  of  a  hostile 
nation  or  government,  being  males  of  the  age  of  fourteen  years 
and  upwards,  who  shall  be  in  the  United  States  and  not  actually 
naturalized ; 

Now,  therefore,  I,  Wood  row  Wilson,  President  of  the  United 
States  of  America,  do  hereby  proclaim  to  all  whom  it  may  con- 
cern  that  a  state  of  war  exists  between  the  United  States  and 
the  Imperial  and  Royal  Austro-Hungarian  Government ;  and  I 
do  specially  direct  all  officers,  civil  or  military,  of  the  United 
States  that  they  exercise  vigilance  and  zeal  in  the  discharge  of 
the  duties  incident  to  such  a  state  of  war;  and  I  do.  moreover, 
35422° — 18 


|G.  O.  170.] 


2 


earnestly  appeal  to  all  American  citizens  that  they,  in  loyal  devo- 
tion to  their  country,  dedicated  from  its  foundation  to  the  prin- 
ciples of  liberty  and  justice,  uphold  the  laws  of  the  land,  and 
give  undivided  and  willing  support  to  those  measures  which 
may  he  adopted  by  the  constitutional  authorities  in  prosecuting 
the  war  to  a  successful  issue  and  in  obtaining  a  secure  and  just 
peace ; 

And,  acting  under  and  by  virtue  of  the  authority  vested  In 
me  by  the  Constitution  of  the  United  States  and  the  aforesaid 
sections  of  the  Revised  Statutes,  I  do  hereby  further  proclaim 
and  direct  that  the  conduct  to  be  observed  on  the  part  of  the 
United  States  towards  all  natives,  citizens,  denizens,  or  subjects 
of  Austria-Hungary,  being  males  of  the  age  of  fourteen  years 
and  upwards,  who  shall  be  within  the  United  States  and  not 
actually  naturalized,  shall  be  as  follows: 

All  natives,  citizens,  denizens,  or  subjects  of  Austria-Hungary, 
being  males  of  fourteen  years  and  upwards,  who  shall  be  within 
the  United  States  and  not  actually  naturalized,  are  enjoined  to 
preserve  the  peace  towards  the  United  States  and  to  refrain  from 
crime  against  the  public  safety,  and  from  violating  the  laws  of 
the  United  States  and  of  the  States  and  Territories  thereof,  and 
to  refrain  from  actual  hostility  or  giving  information,  aid,  or 
comfort  to  the  enemies  of  the  United  States,  and  to  comply 
strictly  with  the  regulations  which  are  hereby  or  which  may  be 
from  time  to  time  promulgated  by  the  President;  and  so  long 
as  they  shall  conduct  themselves  in  accordance  with  law  they 
shall  be  undisturbed  in  the  peaceful  pursuit  of  their  lives  and 
occupations  and  be  accorded  the  consideration  due  to  all  peace- 
ful and  law-abiding  persons,  except  so  far  as  restrictions  may 
be  necessary  for  their  own  protection  and  for  the  safety  of  the 
United  States;  and  towards  such  of  said  persons  as  conduct 
themselves  in  accordance  with  law  all  citizens  of  the  United 
States  are  enjoined  to  preserve  the  peace  and  to  treat  them  with 
all  such  friendliness  as  may  be  compatible  with  loyalty  and 
allegiance  to  the  United  States. 

And  all  natives,  citizens,  denizens,  or  subjects  of  Austria- 
Hungary,  being  males  of  the  age  of  fourteen  years  and  upwards, 
who  shall  be  within  the  United  States  and  not  actually  natural- 
ized, who  fail  to  conduct  themselves  as  so  enjoined,  In  addition  to 
all  other  penalties  prescribed  by  law,  shall  be  liable  to  restraint, 
or  to  give  security,  or  to  remove  and  depart  from  the  United 
States  In  the  manner  prescribed  by  sections  four  thousand  and 
sixty-nine  and  four  thousand  and  seventy  of  the  Revised  Stat- 


8 


[G.  0. 170.1 


utes,  and  as  prescribed  In  regulations  duly  promulgated  by  the 
President. 

And  pursuant  to  the  authority  vested  in  me,  I  hereby  declare 
and  establish  the  following  regulations,  which  I  find  necessary 
in  the  premises  and  for  the  public  safety : 

(1)  No  native,  citizen,  denizen,  or  subject  of  Austria-Hun- 
gary, being  a  male  of  the  age  of  fourteen  years  and  upwards 
and  not  actually  naturalized,  shall  uepart  from  the  United  States 
until  he  shall  have  received  such  permit  as  the  President  shall 
prescribe,  or  except  under  order  of  a  court,  judge,  or  justice, 
under  sections  4069  and  4070  of  the  Revised  Statutes ; 

(2)  No  such  person  shall  land  in  or  enter  the  United  States, 
except  under  such  restrictions  and  at  such  places  as  the  Presi- 
dent may  prescribe ; 

(3)  Every  such  person  of  whom  there  may  be  reasonable 
cause  to  believe  that  he  is  aiding  or  about  to  aid  the  enemy,  or 
who  may  be  at  large  to  the  danger  of  the  public  peace  or  safety, 
or  who  violates  or  attempts  to  violate,  or  of  whom  there  is 
reasonable  ground  to  believe  that  he  is  about  to  violate  any  regu- 
lation duly  promulgated  by  the  President,  or  any  criminal  law 
of  the  United  States,  or  of  the  States  or  Territories  thereof, 
will  be  subject  to  summary  arrest  by  the  United  States  Marshal, 
or  his  deputy,  or  such  other  officer  as  the  President  shall  desig- 
nate, and  to  confinement  in  such  penitentiary,  prison,  jail, 
military  camp,  or  other  place  of  detention  as  may  be  directed 
by  the  President. 

This  proclamation  and  the  regulations  herein  contained  shall 
extend  and  apply  to  all  land  and  water,  continental  or  insular, 
in  any  way  within  the  jurisdiction  of  the  United  States. 

In  witness  whereof,  I  have  hereunto  set  my  hand  and  caused 
the  seal  of  the  United  States  to  be  affixed. 

Done  in  the  District  of  Columbia  this  eleventh  day  of  De- 
cember, in  the  year  of  our  Lord  one  thousand  nine  hun- 
dred and  seventeen,  and  •vf  the  independence  of  the  United 
States  the  one  hundred  and  forty-second. 

[SEAL.l  WOODKOW  WlLSON. 

By  the  President: 
Robert  Lansing, 

Secretari/  of  State. 
[3S2.2,  A.  G.  O.] 

By  order  of  the  Secretary  of  War  : 

TASKEIl  H.  BLISS. 
General,  Chief  of  Staff. 

Official  : 

h.  p.  McCain, 

The  Adjutant  General. 

WASHINGTON  !  GOVERNMENT  PRINTING  OFFICE  :  U18 


